You’ve received the news. You or a loved one needs to be treated for cancer. Now you go through the process of thinking about the treatment and the changes that you may need to make to be sure that the treatment is most effective. That may involve lifestyle and dietary improvements as well as the cancer treatment itself. One area that is often neglected but should be addressed early is the health of your mouth.
The National Institute of Health lists three reasons to see the dentist before cancer treatment.
- 1. You’ll feel better
- 2. You’ll help protect your teeth, gums, and bone.
- 3. You’ll prevent needless delays and complications that can occur if infections occur after cancer treatment.
In addition to surgery, the two primary treatments for cancer are radiation and chemotherapy. Let’s look at radiation first. Radiation to the head and neck area has two potential devastating side effects.
1. Radiation to the head and neck kills the salivary glands in its field producing a dry mouth. When the mouth is dry, it becomes acidic. And an acidic mouth becomes prone to dental decay. Therefore, all decay should be diagnosed and treated before radiation therapy. In addition, a preventive protocol that might include fluoride, xylitol (sugar that helps stop tooth decay), baking soda rinses, and artificial salivas might be prescribed to help prevent decay. Intensive home care can prevent decay and the potential of tooth loss. Tooth extraction after radiation can be devastating because…
2. Radiation to the head and neck reduces the blood supply to the bone and soft tissues. If an extraction is necessary after radiation, there are increased complications from infection as the blood supply to the area is compromised. It is much less risky to have a tooth extracted before radiation therapy than afterward.
Chemotherapy has a much more generalized effect as it usually permeates the entire body. Side effects include soreness or ulcerations of the soft tissue of your mouth, dry mouth, a burning, peeling, or swelling tongue, infection, and taste changes. Oral rinses that numb the mouth may help you get through this period.
If I were diagnosed with cancer, I would get to a dentist immediately. Your dentist and oncologist will communicate together to reduce your risk during treatment. If an extraction is necessary, get it done as soon as possible before chemotherapy or radiation as adequate healing time of the extraction site is necessary before beginning radiation or chemotherapy. And your dentist will get you on a protocol to help keep you as comfortable as possible and reduce future risk of dental disease. Even if you never did it before, this is the time to keep up regular dental visits where prevention is emphasized and early diagnosis could be critical. Dental examination and treatment is a step that should not be overlooked as part of overall cancer therapy.
